The Internet has a lot of great things to offer, but when it comes to drawing tools, all you’re going to find is a long list of paid programs. That’s why I decided to compile this list of free online drawing tools. Check them out and share with your friends so they can enjoy the many benefits the internet has to offer
Free Drawing Software: Free Art Programs & Art Apps
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1) Adobe Fresco
Adobe Fresco is easy to use vector drawing program. It enables you to turn your ideas into a design. This application has built-in vector brushes. The software allows you to customize the toolbar so that you can keep only those brushes that you like.
Features:
- This drawing ideas app has a built-in graph and perspective grid to sketch any diagram.
- You can include images from multiple sources as a part of your composition.
- It enables you to publish your work to Behance (digital marketing site).
- Supports the latest drawing hardware Adobe Ink, Adonit Jot Touch, and more.
- You can download this tool to sketch 2D and 3D. Drawings.
2) Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop is an application for photo retouching and image editing. It is published by Adobe for Windows and macOS. This tool offers you to create, enhance, edit artworks, images, and illustrations. Adobe Photoshop is an important tool for designers, graphic artists, photographers, web developers, and creative professionals.
Features:
- You can connect to Behance, a social media platform.
- It has smart sharpen filters.
- It is built using generator technology.
- Image edited with Photoshop on mobile can automatically save as a cloud.
- Intelligent upsampling feature to make low-resolution image print-ready.
- A useful tool for drawing shapes.
- Supports conditional actions that help you to automate tedious and repetitive tasks.
- It provides a one-click color correction.
- You can retouch a photo with ease.
3) Artrage
Artrage is an application that offers numerous realistic painting tools. The program allows you to create delicate watercolor strokes that look like a canvas texture.
Features:
- Customize the brush the way you like.
- Offers oil paint brushes.
- Every action is recordable.
- Artrage provides a tutorial for drawing.
- It supports a phone or tablet.
- The tool can be used on win or macOS.
4) Colorcinch
Colorcinch is an AI-powered photo effect and editing tool. This drawing app allows you to instantly create, edit, and turn your photo into personalized artwork. It also helps you to save and organize your projects online.
Features:
- Save and organize your projects online.
- Offers adjustable filters & cartomizer effects
- Provides a wide selection of features to customize and beautify your artwork.
- You can access your artwork and resume editing from anywhere in the world.
5) Astropad
Astropad is a tool that helps you to draw on the iPad. It is one of the best free drawing programs that enables you to drag and drop the object without any hassle.
Features:
- Offers deep customization.
- Supports shortcuts.
- You can draw curves.
- Edit the stroke with ease.
- It has in-app keyboards.
- Astropad provides flexibility in creating your workspace.
6) Adobe Photoshop Sketch
Adobe Photoshop Sketch is a tool that lets you create drawings using tools like pen, pencils, watercolor, markers, etc. This app is available for Android as well as iOS.
Features:
- Supports integration with Behance.
- Built-in the graph and grids for easy drawing.
- It offers a cloud library for quick access to your artwork.
- Help make a collage of sketches.
- Supports for drawing hardware like Fifty-three and Adobe Ink.
- You can send sketches to Adobe illustrator for high-resolution printing.
7) GIMP
GIMP is a freeware and open-source digital painting software. The full form of GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is used for image editing and retouching, free form drawing, convert images into different formats, and more specialized work. This program is released under GPLv3+ licenses and is available for macOS, Microsoft Windows, and Linux.
Features:
- Manage color efficiently.
- This digital art program comes with a customizable user interface.
- It helps you touch up digital photographs captured from the camera.
- It has basic vector graphic features.
- Supports different hardware devices, including the MIDI controller, USB, etc.
- It is one of the best free art apps that enables you to enhance photos with ease.
- Export to JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and more file formats.
- You can open an unlimited number of images at one time.
- GIMP supports the full alpha channel.
Link: https://www.gimp.org/
8) Pencil Sketch
Pencil Sketch is an easy to use editor for creating sketches from photos. This application enables you to choose the image from your gallery or capture it with the camera. It is one of the best drawing apps for free which helps you to create sketches with smooth curves and edges.
Features:
- Enhance photo with one tap.
- Provides many photo effects, filters, and frames
- This free drawing software offers stickers.
- The software can help you to convert photos into a doodle style cartoon photo.
- Adjust contrast, exposure, saturation, and color temperature.
- You can sharpen the blurry photo.
- It allows you to draw and add text.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dumplingsandwich.pencilsketch&hl=en_IN
9) PENUP – Share your drawings
PENUP is a drawing tool that helps you to make sketches. It enables you to do coloring on drawings. This application allows you to find drawings by popular artwork and artists.
Features:
- It is one of the best free drawing app which helps you to draw sketches comfortably.
- You can challenge yourself with new topics.
- Enables you to use real time artwork.
- Share your drawings with other people.
- Supports commenting on drawings.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sec.penup&hl=en_IN
10) SketchBook
SketchBook is a program that is used to make the artwork. You can use this application on Android and iOS.
Features:
- You can transform paper-based drawings into digital form.
- This drawing app for free offers pencil strokes that look like real.
- Provides a blueprint for drafting.
- You can draw lines with ease.
- This application has an easy user interface.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adsk.sketchbook&hl=en
11) Pencil Photo Sketch-Sketching Drawing Photo Editor
Pencil Photo Sketch is a photo editor to create sketches from photos. It is one of the best free drawing apps that enables you to convert your images into color pencil sketches or hand-drawn pencil sketches.
Features:
- Offers easy to use UI.
- It provides a pencil sketch, cartoon art, silhouette painting, and more.
- Supports many crayons and photo coloring effects.
- You can quickly filter out your photo.
- It has a simple UI design.
- This sketch drawing app allows you to share your artwork using social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hqgames.pencil.sketch.photo&hl=en_IN
12) ibis Paint X
ibis Paint X is a versatile drawing app. It is one of the best art apps for free that contains more than 800 fonts, 64 filters, 335 brushes, and more. This application gives a comfortable and smooth drawing experience. The software helps you to record the drawing process as a video.
Features:
- You can add layers to your sketch.
- It enables you to set the opacity and to blend into layers.
- Offer filters for curve gradation map, and cloud.
- You can set brush parameters like thickness, opacity, and angle.
- Provides real-time brush review.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.ne.ibis.ibispaintx.app&hl=en_IN
13) Kawaii Easy Drawing: How to draw Step by Step
Kawaii Easy Drawing: How to draw Step by Step is a free drawing book for children. It is one of the best free painting apps which provides animation steps to show detailed steps for drawing cartoons. You can use it to draw flowers, rose, animals, and more.
Features:
- It can be used without Wi-Fi.
- Provides a private gallery.
- Contains plenty of lessons.
- Offers many font tools.
- Update daily with new cartoons and comics.
- It has a large variety of categories.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=drawing.lessons.sketch.how.to.draw.portrait&hl=en_IN
14) PaperColor
PaperColor is a painting application. This app has different styles of color libraries. It is one of the best free sketch apps which helps you to draw anything from your tablet or phone.
Features:
- Offers handwriting signature after you finish your work.
- Provides a ruler and eraser.
- You can draw on the photo.
- It has a base map that helps you to learn drawing.
- You can share your artwork with other people.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eyewind.paperone&hl=en_US
15) Inspire Pro
Inspire Pro is a painting app for iPad. This application helps you to blend colors with brush strokes. It is one of the best free drawing software which enables you to browse through the gallery. The software allows you to add the title of your artwork.
Features:
- It offers numerous brush selection.
- You can view the video of the artwork you have made.
- It automatically records the strokes while you paint.
- Support drawing with Apple Pencil.
- Adjust the opacity and size of the color brush.
- You can customize the depth of the stroke.
Link: https://snowcanoe.com/InspirePro/index.html
16) Procreate
Procreate is an application that enables you to create sketches and paintings on the iPad. It is one of the best free art programs that contains a library of brushes, charcoals, ink, and more. It allows you to paint or draw with any color.
Features:
- It provides drag and drops functionality.
- Pick and drop color onto canvas to fill it.
- Offers multi-touch gestures.
- Streamline strokes for smooth curves.
- Support of full font control, including kerning (spacing between two characters), baseline, and more.
- It has color balancing tools.
- You can add depth to your art.
Link: https://procreate.art/
17) Drawing Desk: Draw, Paint, Color, Doodle & Sketch Pad
Drawing Desk: Draw, Paint, Color, Doodle & Sketch Pad is a free app for Android devices. This application helps you to start drawing, sketching, and coloring. It enables you to draw pictures of animals, vegetables, fruits, and more.
Features:
- Offers 3D brushes and Stickers.
- Sketch using pen, pencil, fill a bucket, watercolor.
- You can zoom the drawing canvas.
- Offers color palette with touch color themes and pickers.
- You can give unique touch effects with magic brushes.
- Share your drawing with friends and family.
- Post your artwork on Facebook or Instagram.
- You can work offline without W-Fi connection.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.axis.drawingdesk.v3&hl=en_IN
18) Drawing Grid Maker
Drawing Grid Maker is a grid drawing software for artists that draws a grid on top of an image that can be used as a guide. This application enables you to load pictures from your web browser or device.
Features:
- Users can easily set rows and columns, the color of the grid, and line width.
- Save the image to print it out.
- Display images on your tablet/monitor/phone while you draw.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vavatch.www.proportiongridmaker&hl=en_IN
19) How to Draw Animals
How to Draw Animals is a mobile application that allows you to draw cartoon animals with ease. It includes a large amount of drawing collection.
Features:
- Drawings can be classified by the level of difficulty.
- It provides simple steps to create your drawing.
- This application offers a fun way to teach your kid drawing.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sweefitstudios.drawanimals&hl=en_IN
20) Magic Slate
Magic Slate is a tool that enables you to draw and apply colors with brush strokes. This program offers a wide range of effects like inner glow, emboss, outer glow, and more. It provides an easy way to undo and redo the changes.
Features:
- You can use Magic Slate for drawing and writing with more than one color.
- It enables you to clear your drawing.
- You can save the drawing in mobile.
- It supports multiple brushes with varieties of sizes.
- This application allows you to share your drawing with friends and family.
- The application provides an eraser to make corrections.
- Offers a multicolor pallet to choose your painting. Painting.
- It helps kids to learn drawing or writing numbers and alphabets.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ng_labs.magicslate&hl=en_IN
21) Pixelmator
Pixelmator Pro is a graphics editor to develop a professional image. This application has a collection of tools that can be used for editing and retouching photos.
Features:
- It is compatible with macOS Catalina, and new Mac Pro.
- This tool supports multi GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).
- You can remove unwanted colors from a photo.
- This free drawing program allows you to customize any symbol from templates.
- Pixelmator has a collection of handcrafted brushes.
- You can mix and combine any special art or effects.
- It allows you to retouch any photo the way you need it.
Link: https://www.pixelmator.com/pro/
22) Drawing Grid For The Artist
Drawing Grid For The Artist is an Android application that helps you to draw using a grid. You can use this program to adjust the brightness and contrast of the image.
Features:
- Provides black and white photo transfer facility
- You can easily get the color of the image
- Adjust brightness and contrast.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tungnv.pdsupport&hl=en_IN
23) Sketch Pictures- Pencil Sketch to Draw Yourself
Sketch Pictures- Pencil Sketch to Draw Yourself is an easy application that helps you to turn your images into a pencil art sketch. This application enables you to import a photo from camera or gallery.
Features:
- It offers more than 15 sketch filters.
- You can make realistic sketches.
- Sketch Pictures allows you to share your work with your colleagues.
- It enables you to edit pictures from anywhere at any time.
- This drawing app supports Facebook, Whatsapp, and email sharing.
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.psd2filter.pencilsketch&hl=en_IN
24) Paper by Wetransfer
Paper by Wetransfer is a tool that allows you to make drawings. This application allows you to share your final work in real-time with comments and reactions.
Features:
- It allows you to sketch, type, and draw.
- This application helps you to cut, stack, move and fix the photos.
- It enables you to sync your work across devices.
- You can make photo collages with ease.
- Provides many drawing tricks.
Link: https://paper.bywetransfer.com/
25) Tayasui Sketches
Tayasui Sketches is a tool that allows you to make realistic sketches with ease. This tool provides wet watercolor that enables you to blend two or more colors. It supports unlimited layers to draw complex drawings.
Features:
- You can back up your work to iCloud.
- It provides acrylic and oil paint brushes.
- This online drawing program offers a smart way to paint large areas in one stroke.
- You can add depth to your drawings.
- Tayasui Sketches allows you to mix colors to have a perfect shade.
- Supported platforms are Mac, iOS, and Android.
Link: https://tayasui.com/sketches/
26) Marmoset Hexels
Marmoset Hexels is an application for grid-based painting, design, and animation. This application provides a palette that enables you to keep track of colors.
Features:
- It enables you to rasterize the image.
- Supports painting with geometry.
- Provides pixel to pixel drawing facility.
- It can be used on Mac and PC.
- You can export your work for SVG or PSD.
- This application enables you to assemble your canvas (drawing area) with ease.
Link: https://marmoset.co/hexels/
27) MediBang Paint
MediBang Paint is a lightweight application that enables you to make drawings for comic books. This application provides grids for easy drawings. It is one of the best drawing apps for PC which enables you to slice the canvas areas.
Features:
- You can save more than one page in one file.
- It helps you draw smoother lines.
- You can store your drawing on the cloud.
- Can import files from the tablet/smartphone sketching app.
- You can set keyboard shortcuts.
- This application offers regular updates.
- Works on Windows or Mac.
Link: https://medibangpaint.com/en/
28) Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer is a vector graphics app that helps you to improve your workflow and creativity. This application provides a real-time preview. You can use it to make complex drawings. The program enables you to link symbols.
Features:
- You can manage more handle more than 1000 objects.
- It enables you to organize layers with drawings.
- Provides an outline view for accurate selections.
- You can create a vector or raster image with just one single click.
- You can save your history.
- Offers customizable keyboard shortcuts to draw online.
- Supported file formats are PSD, PDF, AI, JPG, SVG, and more.
Link: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/
29) Assembly
Assembly is a tool that offers a quick and easy way to make your design. You can use this tool to draw basic shapes, fills, stickers, and strokes. This iPhone drawing app enables you to export the file as SVGs.
Features:
- This online drawing app enables you to cut, intersect, and combine objects.
- Supports grouping, scale, and rotate objects.
- This application helps you to edit the shape the way you like.
- You can work on the iPhone and iPad with Apple pencil.
- It enables you to make design without any experience.
Link: https://www.pixiteapps.com/apps/assembly-vector-graphic-design-app/
30) Concepts
Concepts is an application that contains natural tools to draw vector graphics. This application has a library containing a wide variety of objects and brushes. It enables you to drag and drop objects with ease.
Features:
- This realistic drawing app allows you to make your own custom objects.
- It enables you to import PDF files.
- You can export your design as a vector.
- Offers a wide range of brushes.
- You can use this application on mobile.
- It enables you to draw technical drawings without switching to a new document.
- You can manipulate images layers, and more.
Link: https://concepts.app/en/
FAQ
❓ What are drawing apps?
Drawing Apps are programs that help you to create simple images called vector graphics
🚀 Which are the Best Drawing Software?
Below are some of the Best Drawing Software:
- Adobe Fresco
- Adobe Photoshop
- Artrage
- Colorcinch
- Astropad
- Adobe Photoshop Sketch
- GIMP
- Pencil Sketch
⚡ Why use drawing apps?
Here are the reasons of using drawing apps:
- Drawing applications have numerous brushes that help style your drawings easily.
- This software can be used to make realistic sketches with ease.
- Applications help you to edit the shape the way you like.
- Customize apps the way you like.
🏅 What are the common features of drawing apps?
- You can make your own custom objects.
- It allows you to manipulate images layers, and more.
- Support file formats are PSD, PDF, AI, JPG, SVG, and more.
- It enables you to organize layers with drawings.
Choosing Drawing Software and Applications
Key criteria to consider when looking for drawing software:
● Software By Device
Different software and apps are available depending on the device you’ll use to draw.Although the same software or app may be available on multiple systems, the features may vary. Be sure to check that your device supports the app and its current version before use.
For Desktop (Windows/macOS)
The following is a list of desktop drawing software. Some offer dedicated specialties such as comic creation.
- Photoshop CC (Windows/macOS)
- Clip Studio Paint (Windows/macOS)
- Paint Tool SAI (Windows)
- Paintstorm Studio (Windows/macOS)
- MediBang Paint Pro (Windows/macOS)
- Corel Painter 2021 (Windows/macOS)
- Krita (Windows/macOS)
- GIMP2 (Windows/macOS)
For Tablets
The following is a list of drawing applications, some geared towards creating comics and manga and available on the iPad, Android tablets, or both. The iPad supports pen pressure when you draw when using an Apple Pencil or a BambooSketch.
- ibisPaint (iPad)
- Clip Studio Paint (iPad/Android)
- Adobe Fresco (iPad/Windows)
- Procreate (iPad)
- MediBang Paint (iPad/Android)
- Paintstorm Studio (iPad)
For Smartphones
The following is a list of drawing applications for iPhones or Android smartphones.
● Software by Purpose
First, think about your drawing goals, what you want to draw, and whether your art will stay digital or go to print. This will help you find the drawing tools and software that are right for you, which is especially important if you want to draw comics.
Drawing Professional Illustration, Comics, and DesignProfessional creators use tools that support advanced drawing. Many universities and schools also use these same tools to prepare their students to become professional creators. If your goal is to print your work, use software or apps that support high-resolution data. If you choose an app that suits the majority of your workflow, you can avoid switching between different apps and software as you draw. If you wish to draw comics, you should choose a designated app or software that comes with features for creating comics and manga.
- Photoshop CC (Windows/macOS)
- Clip Studio Paint (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Android)
- Paint Tool SAI (Windows)
- Procreate (iPad)
- Corel Painter 2021 (Windows/macOS)
- Adobe Fresco (iPad/Windows)
Creating Illustrations and Comics for Fun
Choose a drawing tool that allows you to post your picture to social media. Posting to social media helps make drawing more fun while you get used to drawing digitally. Software and apps for drawing simple illustrations are cheap and free. A helpful strategy is to draw rough sketches in your spare time and then use professional drawing software to finish up your work.
- ibisPaint (iPad/iPhone/Android)
- Clip Studio Paint (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Android)
- Paintstorm Studio (Windows/macOS/iPad)
- GIMP2 (Windows/macOS)
- Krita (Windows/macOS)
- MediBangPaint Pro (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Android)
This article introduces the best tablets for beginners to digital art!
Drawing Software and Applications
From here, we will introduce the features of each drawing software/app as well as information about price, support, and trial versions. For first-time users, it’s wise to choose a drawing software or app with reliable support from the company that produces it. Furthermore, trial versions allow users to try something out before investing in them so you can make a more informed choice about which one suits you best.
- Photoshop CC (Windows/macOS)
- Clip Studio Paint (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Android)
- Paint Tool SAI (Windows)
- ibisPaint (iPad/iPhone/Android)
- Procreate (iPad)
- Adobe Fresco (iPad/Windows)
- MediBang Paint Pro (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Android)
- Corel Painter 2021 (Windows/macOS)
- Krita (Windows/macOS)
- Paintstorm Studio (Windows/macOS/iPad)
- GIMP2 (Windows/macOS)
● Photoshop CC (Windows/macOS)
A professional graphics software that’s popular with professional designers, photographers, and editors. Abundant in features, it is also useful for drawing illustrations. Photoshop CC requires some customization, so it is suitable for intermediate artists.
Photoshop CC is prominent in the design and photo processing industry, and many design schools use Photoshop to teach students. This versatile software can export multi-page data for use online, in print, and for videos.
You can draw in Photoshop, but it wasn’t created with illustration or comics in mind. It takes time and effort to customize the pen and brush tools, and features like pen pressure are turned off by default. However, if you are looking for a highly-customizable program, Photoshop CC will work well for you. An update in 2017 added a stabilization function to the pen and brush settings.
Since it was initially software for photo processing, it is quite good at adjusting colors. It also supports CMYK, the go-to format used for printed works. Since Paint Tool SAI does not support CMYK, the two software are often used together.
Photoshop CC is suited for intermediate users, so we recommend it if you know what you want to create and are happy to customize your software. Another similar software, Photoshop Elements, has limited functions but can draw digital illustrations without any problems and costs less than US$100.
Developer: Adobe Systems Co., Ltd.
Support: For some issues, the Adobe support team can be contacted via their official contact form or a chat feature. Although the official website has a community forum for asking and answering questions, these topics are mainly related to design and photo processing. There is not much information on illustration and comics.
There are also many books and online websites that introduce Adobe Photoshop, but again, there is little information specializing in illustration and comics.
Trial version:
Download the full-feature seven-day trial version from the Free Trial Download page.
Note: To use all the features, you must obtain an Adobe ID and register for the trial version.
How to purchase:
You can buy Photoshop CC from the official website and other digital software purchasing sites.
Price:
Creative Cloud Photography Plan: $9.99/month
- Photoshop CC is a monthly subscription service.
- When purchasing from the official website, Adobe accepts payments through credit card, PayPal, and wire transfer. You can pay with cash if you load it onto a prepaid debit card, available separately from many retailers.
● Clip Studio Paint (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Android)
Clip Studio Paint is a versatile software that supports a wide range of specialties, including illustration, comics, and animation. It comes with a plethora of digital art tools, so you can start drawing with it right out of the box. Clip Studio Paint is suited for those who want to create various kinds of works, including illustration. There is also a version available on the iPad/iPhone/Galaxy/Android/Chromebook.
Professional creators use Clip Studio Paint in the illustration, manga, and animation industries. Schools use Clip Studio Paint to teach comic, illustration, or animation courses. This software has an outstanding reputation for how it feels as you draw. Clip Studio Paint supports multi-page data export for digital, printed work, and movies. With features for arranging images and text, it’s suitable for simple design work as well.
Furthermore, it is useful for specialty comic production, such as for webtoons. It comes with webtoon canvas settings and the ability to split vertical works into multiple smaller works. Last but not least, artwork production can be recorded with its canvas timelapse feature and then shared to social media in video format.
It takes some time to learn how to use all of the software. However, some features such as the editable 3D drawing figures are great for beginners. You can change their pose and angles to help create base sketches.
In addition to pens and brushes, it also has many other digital art tools such as color and monochrome screen tones. You can download and add pens, brushes, tones, etc., from Clip Studio ASSETS, our official material service, and you can import Photoshop brushes (extension: .abr). Pens and brushes have a high degree of freedom, and once you get used to them, you can customize them to suit your style.
There are two versions, PRO and EX. Multi-page comics and full-fledged animations can be created with the higher grade EX version. Clip Studio Paint is a powerful software that allows you to create various genres of illustrations, comics, webtoons, and animation. The tablet and smartphone versions for iPads and Samsung Galaxy devices have the exact same features as the desktop version. When using it on multiple devices, you can use a cloud service to migrate your works and settings. Another advantage of this software is that you can create the same pens and brushes regardless of OS.
Developer: CELSYS, Inc.
Support:
You can contact support via the website’s official contact form. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions section, a wealth of detailed explanations, tutorials, and videos by professional creators. Not only that, but there is also a Q&A service, Clip Studio ASK, that allows users to ask and answer each other’s questions. Many users also use social media to exchange information.
You can also find books about this software. However, because it is continuously releasing new updates, the information may not match the latest software specifications.
Trial version:
- For Windows and macOS, you can use all the features (*1) for 30 days after downloading from the free trial version page on the official site. If you apply for a monthly usage plan, you can use it for up to 3 months free of charge (*2).
- Clip Studio Paint for Galaxy is now available in the Galaxy Store worldwide.
- Clip Studio Paint for Android/Chromebook is available for download from the Play Store.
- The iPad version can be used for free for up to three months (*2) if you download it from the App Store and apply for a monthly usage plan.
- The iPhone version is free to use for one hour every day after downloading it from the App Store. It can be used for an unlimited amount of time with an in-app purchase.
Note 1: In order to use all the features, you must obtain a Clip Studio account and register for the trial version.
Note 2: This is only for the first time you apply for a monthly use plan. You also need to apply via the app.
Please refer to the help section on the official website for more information.
How to purchase:
Clip Studio Paint can be purchased and downloaded from the official website via Paypal, credit cards, bank/wire transfer, WebMoney, and check.
In addition to the official website, you can purchase the packaged version at online stores and events.
Both iPad and iPhone versions can be downloaded from the AppStore.
Price:
Windows/macOS
One-time payment (download version)
- PRO: US$49.99 (tax included)
- EX: US$219.00 (tax included)
Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Galaxy Monthly usage plans
A flexible monthly usage plan for a single preferred device (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Galaxy). You need to apply from the app.
- Clip Studio Paint PRO: US$4.49 (tax included)/month (Annual: US$24.99)
- Clip Studio Paint EX: US$8.99 (tax included)/month (Annual: US$71.99)
There are also other great deals available for multiple devices. For more information, please refer to the official website.
Smartphone plan
- Clip Studio Paint PRO: US$0.99 (tax included)/month (Annual: US$6.49)
- Clip Studio Paint EX: US$2.49 (tax included)/month (Annual: US$16.99)
Note: When using pen pressure detection or Galaxy Dex mode, please use a Clip Studio Paint plan other than the smartphone plan. Visit the following site for more details about Plans.
● Corel Painter 2021 (Windows/macOS)
Corel Painter 2021 is a multi-functional graphics software suitable for creative works. You can draw comfortably with its 900+ versatile brushes and high customizability. It’s suitable for painting realistic style works.
Corel Painter is a long-selling software that is a standard for drawing and painting. The long and smooth stroke of its unique brush engine allows you to draw intuitively with realistic painting strokes as if you were painting on paper. Although expensive, its preset brushes and intricate customization make it suitable for a range of painting styles. However, the focus on realistic brushstrokes makes it less ideal for creating cartoon or comic styles.
To improve the speed of launch and operation, we recommend that you check the specs of your computer before installing and use a computer with specs that exceed the software’s minimum specifications.
Corel Painter 2021’s independent color selector allows you to select a color while checking it against other colors. It also has a Color Harmonies function that lists colors that match the selected color. So even if you aren’t confident in picking colors, these features help inexperienced artists choose colors more easily.
It’s annual subscription is available for both Mac and Windows, and includes free brush packs and updates as soon as they are available. A low-priced version of Painter Essentials 8 is also available. Although it has fewer brushes, the freedom of customization and the independent color selector is comparable to the full-featured version.
Corel also has an android-compatible app called Painter Mobile that comes in both free and paid versions. The paid version comes with more functions.
Developer: Corel Corporation
Support:
You can contact user support from the website’s official contact form. Detailed manuals and user galleries are also available on their dedicated tutorial website, and several books have been published that teach you how to use this software.
How to purchase:
Download the desktop version (Windows/macOS) from the official website.
Price:
- Annual subscription: US$199
- One-time payment: US$424 (Free 30-day trial available)
● Krita (Windows/macOS)
Krita is an open-source, free graphics software. This new digital illustration tool is complete with basic drawing functions and brushes.
This software is available for free. Unlike other software, Krita supports Linux. You can also use many brushes and import additional user-created resources, a feature unique to open-source software.
In addition to the ability to create an infinite number of layers, it has vector layers that you can use to transform figures and text without losing image quality. Krita also has a symmetry drawing tool that allows you to draw objects with intricate patterns.
Even though it is free software, it has an animation creation function, which supports frame-by-frame animation and simultaneous playback of animation and imported audio.
The drawback is that you will need to get used to brushstroke lag if you want to draw with it. This lag exists regardless of device, so if you are looking for high-performing brushstrokes, we recommend Clip Studio Paint.
Krita is available for purchase from Steam or the Microsoft Store.
Beta versions for ChromeOS and Android are also under development and can be downloaded from the official website.
Developer: Krita Foundation
Support:
You can contact support from the website’s official contact form. Krita also has tutorials and a Frequently Asked Questions page. Furthermore, you can download additional resources and browse their user gallery.
How to purchase:
Download the desktop version (Windows/macOS/Linux) from the official website for free.
Purchase the desktop version (Windows/macOS/Linux) from Steam and the Microsoft Store.
Price: Free, US$9.99 (Steam), US$9.79 (Microsoft Store)
● Paint Tool SAI (Windows)
Paint Tool SAI is a software with a simple interface and a smooth brush engine. However, it lacks functions such as text input, gradients, and figure drawing, so we recommend it for artists who want to create illustrations rather than comics.
Artists love this software due to its excellent stabilization and the overall feel as you draw. However, it only has a handful of methods for adjusting colors, and it does not support CMYK output. You’ll need to switch to another software to carry out these steps. Still, it is one of the leading drawing software for beginner illustrators.
Paint Tool SAI lacks strong user support and requires basic knowledge of Windows to use. SYSTEMAX is developing Paint Tool SAI Ver.2 with text input and ruler features. A beta version is currently available on the official website, and users who own Paint Tool SAI can use it free of charge. Some artists use the beta version to draw manga.
Developer: SYSTEMAX, Inc.
Support:
The official website has a Frequently Asked Questions page but no official community.
The software comes with a simple manual.
Paint Tool SAI has existed for over a decade, so plenty of books are available to explain how to use the software to draw illustrations, as well as numerous tutorials online.
Trial version:
Download the trial version from the official website.
You can use the trial version for free for 31 days after installation.
How to purchase:
Purchase from the official website.
The website accepts payment via Paypal and credit card.
Price: JPY 5500
● ibisPaint (iPad/iPhone/Android)
A fast-growing free app that lets you draw illustrations and manga on your smartphone or tablet. We recommend ibisPaint for artists who want to draw on their smartphone or tablet.
ibisPaint is a free illustration and manga drawing app. The UI design is optimized for smartphones and tablets. In addition to more than 2500 textures and screentones, it also has a full range of manga production features such as a frame border function. However, canvas size and dpi are limited. A B5 or A5 canvas cannot have 600 dpi resolution, a requirement for printing black-and-white comics.
The free version displays ads and limits the number of brushes. Watching an ad will unlock these functions for a limited amount of time. Purchasing the paid version removes ads and brush restrictions. If you become a premium member of their monthly membership system, you can use the member-only filters as well.
You can also record your drawing process as a timelapse video and post it to their official website and Twitter.
ibisPaint is compatible with Clip Studio Paint, so you can upload ibisPaint artwork to the Clip Studio cloud, then continue working on the same layers in Clip Studio Paint.
Developer: ibis mobile inc.
Support:
Check the official website for Frequently Asked Questions and tutorials. It has a lot of useful content, perfect for digital art beginners. You can also contact support from the website’s official contact form.
In addition to an Official YouTube channel, other users’ tutorial videos are also available on their official website gallery.
How to purchase:
Free version (ibisPaint X)
Download the app from the following links. To become a prime member, you need to purchase it within the app. You can also buy the paid version for Android in the app (Remove Ads Add-on).
- Download the iOS (iPad/iPhone) version from the AppStore.
- Download the Android version from Google Play.
Paid version (ibisPaint)
Purchase the paid version of (ibisPaint) from the AppStore.
Price:
- Free (with ads and limited functions)
- Paid (ad-free version): US$7.99
- Prime Membership: US$2.99/month
● Procreate (iPad)
A classic and well-known iPad paint app that won the Apple Design Award. Its wide canvas with touch operation ensures a comfortable drawing experience. The simple UI makes it easy to find features.
Procreate has many digital features, such as brush customization, perspective rulers, clipping masks, text tools, and animation. Not only is it rich in features, but it also has a clean interface that’s easy for beginners to understand. When you start the app, it displays an impressive video on how to use it and a high-quality example image file.
There is a Procreate app for the iPhone with fewer features called Procreate Pocket.
Neither application has a trial version available and, therefore, unfortunately, no way to test them out before purchasing.
Developer: Savage Interactive Pty Ltd
Support:
Procreate’s official website has a mail contact form and a user community.
There are plenty of user tutorials available online too.
Trial version: No trial available.
How to purchase: Purchase from the AppStore.
Price: US$9.99
●Adobe Fresco (iPad/Windows)
Adobe Fresco is a painting software released by Adobe in 2019.
Like Procreate, Adobe Fresco is also designed for use with pen and touch-operated devices. Its main feature is its ability to mimic aspects of traditional painting, such as color mixing and bleeding. It uses live brushes that bleed and mix colors as real art supplies would. You can also adjust the amount of water and how the paint mixes for each brush. Mixing yellow and blue mix in Fresco makes green, an aspect that is not often reproduced in other digital painting software. You can also use both raster and vector brushes on the same canvas. In this way, Adobe Fresco is similar to Clip Studio Paint in that it combines both the feel of watercolor and oil painting with the benefits of working with vectors.
Adobe Fresco is highly recommended for those who already use Adobe products. It specializes in drawing and rounds out Adobe’s other specialized area software (photo processing, design, animation, etc.), resulting in a full, robust digital art workflow. Furthermore, it uses Photoshop brushes as well as Adobe’s cloud service.
Developer: Adobe Systems, Inc.
Support and manuals:
As with Photoshop, you can make inquiries using chat and email via the inquiry form on the official website.
Official website tutorials focus on watercolor and oil painting.
Trial version:
Instead of a trial version limited to 30-days, the app is available as a free scaled-down version in a freemium model.
How to purchase:
Adobe Fresco can be purchased on its own from the Abode official website, Adobe creative cloud, or the App Store (iPad version).
The Windows version can be downloaded from the official Adobe website.
In addition to its own separate plan, it also comes in a plan with Photoshop or the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan.
Price: Free for Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers or $9.99 a month for non-subscribers.
● MediBang Paint (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Android)
MediBang Paint is free software with many features for drawing manga. If you register as a user and log in, you can unlock more features. It’s a good way to try out many kinds of features for free.
This app is a free simple drawing tool. Although you cannot customize it as much as paid ones, it has essential functions for drawing manga, such as frame borders and screentones. It’s made by the same company that makes the apps Jump PAINT and MangaName. These are apps for creating comics rather than illustrations.
It comes with various cloud functions, including access to over 1000 screentones and 20 fonts. You can save your work on the cloud to continue working on it on other devices. To use these functions, you must register as a user and log in. Note that you cannot transfer settings such as those on pens and brushes between different operating systems, such as a computer and an iPad.
If you are looking to draw black-and-white comics, MediBang Paint or Clip Studio Paint, the de-facto industry standard, are both good go-to options.
Developer: MediBang Inc.
Support:
You can contact the developer from the email form on the official website. Additionally, their website offers tutorials, materials, and an FAQ on basic app usage and announcements. You can search for OS-specific queries, but results can sometimes still come back with mixed OS results.
Tutorials and speed paints are also published to their user service, ARTstreet. If these aren’t enough, you can also purchase books that introduce how to use the app.
How to purchase:
- Download the desktop version (Windows/macOS) from the official website.
- Download the iPad version from the AppStore.
- Download the iPhone version from the AppStore.
- Download the Android version from Google Play.
Price: Free (with ads)
● Paintstorm Studio (Windows/macOS/iPad)
Paintstorm Studio is a low cost, advanced painting software available for Windows, macOS, and iPad. It has a wide variety of brushes and many customizable features. If you draw digitally, you should check this software out.
The iPad version of Paintstorm Studio has almost all of the same functions as the desktop version. However, you cannot share files between devices.
There are many default brush settings, allowing you to draw natural objects and backgrounds using CG-like effects. Many of the default brushes have a traditional feel, suitable for impasto painting. However, you can customize brushes to suit detail work and other drawing styles such as manga and anime-style illustrations.
Paintstorm Studio also has a Mixer palette that allows you to mix colors. It’s quite a unique drawing tool, and having some previous knowledge of CG will help when working with this app. Paintstorm Studio is available in both English and Japanese.
Developer: Sergei Komarov
Support:
Paintstorm Studio’s website has a contact form and a user community.
Trial version:
- Download the desktop version (Windows/macOS) from the official website. You can launch the trial version up to 30 times within a limited amount of time.
- For the iPad, there is a feature-limited version, Paintstorm Studio Lite.
How to purchase:
- You can repurchase the desktop version (Windows/macOS) from the official website via Paypal and credit card.
- The iPad version can be downloaded from the AppStore.
Price:
- Desktop version (Windows/macOS): US$19.00
- iPad version: US$12.99
● GIMP2 (Windows/macOS)
GIMP is a long-established open-source, free software with an abundant amount of functions for image processing and the ability to add user-created plug-ins. Due to this high amount of software customizability, GIMP requires some computer skills to use.
The functions available for image processing are almost the same as similar paid software options making it a good choice for adjusting color illustrations. However, since GIMP was initially developed for photo manipulation, it’s not recommended for print or movies.
If you have the technical skills needed to manage its customization abilities, GIMP can be an asset to illustration production.
Developer: The GIMP Team
Support:
Check the official website for Frequently Asked Questions and tutorials.
Many websites share links to guides and paperback books on GIMP, making information on software usage accessible.
How to download:
Download GIMP from its official website.
Price: Free
Conclusion
If you want to draw online but the costs of Adobe Sketch and Adobe Photoshop are putting you off, then try these free online drawing tools.